Fashion & Philosophy Seminar

Description

“Fashion & Philosophy” may at first seem like a reluctant pairing that refracts disparate notions and contrasting fields. While Fashion conjures notions of ephemerality, spectacle, consumption, and is often associated with frivolity and superficiality, Philosophy is more traditionally aligned with grand ideas of wisdom, reason, the absolute, and the Self. By looking beyond this perceived delineation, however, fashion and philosophy are perhaps not so exclusive, since fashion—as a system of codes, as an industry, as a creative force, and as a mode of (self-)expression and communication—has increasingly permeated our present-day cultures, provoking not only criticism but thoughtful reflection, thus venturing into the realm of the philosophical. In leaving aside the apparent distinctions between fashion and philosophy and in joining the two fields together, we will begin to question how the two can inform each other in a way that is altogether significant, challenging, and alluring. The symposium will investigate the many ways through which fashion and philosophy deal with shared themes and issues such as temporality, identity, materiality, the body, perception, aesthetics, and political and ethical matters. In addressing and combining the various concepts and paradigms surrounding both fashion and philosophy, the event wishes to create a fertile space wherein fashion can be approached through a philosophical prism and, alternately, philosophy can be considered through the realm of fashion. In bringing together various academics, intellectuals, and fashion professionals the symposium aims to generate provocative and illuminating discussions that will delve into the colliding and compelling worlds of fashion and philosophical thinking.

Period	22 Apr 2016 → 23 Apr 2016
Event type	Seminar
Location	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Degree of Recognition	International